What's all this about?

This is the updated electric BMW iX3 which gets the mildest of exterior design tweaks to keep it in line with the X3 and also adopts the M Sport package as standard with 19-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof and adaptive suspension. The kidney grille has grown, but you'll be pleased to hear only a little so as not to be offensive. The headlights are 10mm slimmer and there's a new bumper with revised air intakes. New trim items around elements like the LED tail lights have been added and the lights themselves now feature a new graphic and dynamic indicators.

What can we expect in terms of charging?

The electric powertrain is carried over from the pre-facelift model, so no major changes there with a 400v battery module creating 74kWh of available power and an output of 286hp. The only real change is that buyers of the new iX3 will get one year's free subscription to one of BMW Charging's premium subscription services, either BP Pulse or Ionity Plus. Choose BP and it saves you £7.85 a month and you'll pay between 16 and 27p per kWh depending on charger speed. Ionity Plus will save you £11.30 a month and you'll pay 26p per kWh even at the fast chargers, a major saving over the frankly ludicrous 69p per kWh if you pay as you go.

What's it like inside?

Interior changes are minimal with very little happening in terms of new design features. Instead, there's more standard equipment such as electrically adjustable seats and wireless phone charging. Move up to the iX3 M Sport Pro and it has a Harman Kardon sound system, head-up display and BMW's new IconicSounds Electric which is a series of sounds created by movie soundtrack composer, Hans Zimmer.

The main feature is the inclusion of the new BMW Operating System 7 which sits behind a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster. The system features over-the-air updates to keep it always up to date, works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also has a personal assistant to talk to if you get lonely on long journeys.

When is it coming and how much will it cost?

We're quite sure BMW dealers will take your order already as well as £59,730 of your hard-earned money. Once they have then you'll only have a few months to wait with deliveries of the new iX3 starting in December 2021.